Tips unit

Name: Martha Bush

School: Shalimar Elementary School

Theme: Pondering Water Habitats

Grade: 3rd

Subject: Science

Length of Unit: 3-4 weeks

Sunshine State Standards to be addressed and assessed:

SC.B.2.2.1.3.1

Knows that some source of energy is needed for organisms to stay alive and grow.

SC.F.1.2.2.3.1

Understands the various ways that animals depend on plants for survival (for example, food, shelter, oxygen)

SC.G.1.2.2.3.1
Knows how organisms with similar needs in a climatic region compete with one another for resources such as food, water, oxygen, or space.

SC.H.1.2.3.3.1

Knows that to work collaboratively, all team members should be free to reach, explain, and justify their own individual conclusions.

SC.H.1.2.4.3.1

Knows that to compare and contrast observations and results is an essential skill in science.

SC.H.1.2.5.3.1

uses sketches, diagrams and models to understand scientific ideas.

SC.H.3.2.4.3.1

Knows that through the use of science processes and knowledge, people can solve problems, make decisions, and form new ideas.

Learner Outcomes:

The students will be able to:

Build an understanding of biological concepts through direct experience with living things, their life cycles, and their habitats.
Investigate the structures and behaviors of each organism.
Observe how the animal’s adaptations help it move, find food, and escape predators.

Record in a journal both written and pictorial observations.

Photograph the daily activities using cameras.

Use a scanner to scan the photos into the presentation.

Understand the role of each organism in an ecosystem.

Use multimedia technologies to create a slide show about water habitats.

Short description of unit:

The students will construct pond habitats using live organisms. While creating the pond habitats, the students will record observations and predictions about the system in their science journals. Then the students will compare and contrast other water environments and living organisms with their pond habitats.

Media Selection:

Books:

How and Why Plants Eat Insects by Elaine Pascoe; Publisher: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, 2000

The Snail’s Spell by Joanne Ryder; Publisher: Puffin Books, New York, New York, 1988

Insects Grow and Change by Elaine Pascoe; Publisher: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, 2000

Underfoot by Elaine Pascoe; Publisher: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, 2000

Pond by Elaine Pascoe; Publisher: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, 2000

The Water Cycle by Don L. Curry; Publisher: Capstone Press, Mankato, Minnesota, 2001

Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean by Arthur Dorros; Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, New York, New York, 1991

Pond Year by Kathryn Lasky; Publisher, Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985

A Drop of Water by Walter Wick; Publisher: Scholastic Press, Broadway, New York, 1997

Web Resources:

Habitats

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/habitatprotection/index4.htm

Wetlands Kids Page

http://www.wetland.org/kids/Kids.htm

The River Wild Project

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/selway/

Ecosystems of the World

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/

Life Cycle of Aquatic Insects

http://www.epa.gov/eq/atlas/bioindicators/lifecycle.html

EPA Office of Water Kids Page

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/kids/index.html

Match the Hatch (Movie) http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/kids/MOVIE.HTM

Other Necessary Materials and Equipment:

Teacher Holding Tank

Sand (1 cup for each group)

Light gravel (1 cup for each group)

Water plants (1 for each group)

11/2-gallon plastic containers (1 for each group)

Shelters (plastic strawberry containers (1 for each group)

Snails (2 per group) Carolina Science and Math www.carolina.com

Daphnia (local aquarium store)

Fish (local aquarium store)

Mosquito larvae for fish to eat; Carolina Science and Math www.carolina.com

Tubifex worms (VWR Scientific Products/Science Education (1-800-727-4368)

Clear plastic cups

Turkey Baster (to add worms)

Tap Water Conditioner (use to decholorinate the water)

Art supplies

Construction paper

Drawing Paper

Crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue

Fish Cards

Computers

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Science Journals

Folders with Activity Sheets

Scanner

Digital camera

Disk

K-Nex Kit

Teacher Preparation For the Unit:

1. Assign students into groups

2. Purchase the water plants, sand, gravel, and tap water conditioner, and student tanks

3. Set up holding tank for organisms (snails, fish, water plant, tubifex worms, mosquito larva, Daphnia

4. Prepare tanks for students

5. Collect strawberry containers for shelters

6. Prepare folders with Activity Sheets

7. Prepare activities for stations.

Procedures:

Group Activities:

Explain to the class that over the next few days, they will be constructing their group pond habitat. They will be adding organisms to the tanks daily to complete the pond habitat. After completing the “Introductory Activities,” they will go and complete the “Station Activities,” which correlate with the pond habitats.

The students will work in groups of four or five to complete the following activities. Team leaders will be chosen for each group.

Tell the students that they will be exploring a very necessary natural resource that supports plant and animal life---water.

Before beginning the activity, each group will answer the following questions and then write the ideas in his/her journal: What do you know about water? How would you describe water to a friend? How do we use it? Where do we find water?

Next, the teacher will read the book titled: A Drop of Water by Walter Wick. After reading the book,

Go over the above questions with the class. Let the students give their responses to each question.

After the discussion, the students will go to their assigned group to begin Activity 1.

Activities:

Introductory Activity for Activity 1

Students will use their science journals to record and write their ideas. Begin the lesson by asking: “What kinds of animals and plants live under water?

Show the students the 11/2-gallon containers: Ask, “What organisms or animals might be able to survive in it?”

Next, ask the students: “What would a fish need to live in the tank?”

Write the word “habitat” on the overhead. Ask students to write in their science journals the meaning of the word. After completing the word then write the word “aquatic,” on the overhead. Let the students write their definition of the word in their science journal. Next, discuss the words’ meanings.

Last explain to the students that during the next few days, they will be investigating and setting up and aquatic pond habitat. Today, we will begin the first activity.

Activity 1: Day 1 Constructing a Pond Habitats (Interpersonal and Naturalist)

Task: The students in each group will follow the steps below to begin constructing their pond habitats.

Materials: 1 large holding tank for organisms
1 cup of sand/per group

1 cup of light colored gravel/per group
1 water weed/per group

11/2-gallon plastic containers for each group
1 shelter per group
science journals/per student

Time: 45 minutes

Steps:

1. Get a cup of gravel. Slowly spread it over ½ of the tank.

2. Get a cup of sand. Slowly spread it over the other half of the tank. The gravel and sand may touch. Do not MIX.

3. Get a shelter. Talk over with your team where to place the shelter. Place some sand or gravel in it to weigh it to the bottom.

4. Using a label, write your team’s name on the outside of the tank. Get a water plant from the holding tank and place it gently in the tank. This will float in the tank.

Group Activity: After completing the above activity, all groups will return to their desks to share ideas as a class activity. Ask the questions: “Describe the tanks.” “Do you think that the habitats will change over the next few days when you begin adding the other organisms?” Let students make observations and predictions in their science journals.

Activity 2: Day 2 Adding Tubifex Worms and Snails (Interpersonal and Naturalist)

Materials: 1 cup of 20 tubifex worms per group (Add about 1 inch of the dechlorinated water to the cup before adding the worms)
1 snail in a cup per group (Add about 1 inch of the dechlorinated water to the cup before placing the snail inside the cup)

Turkey baster (to add the worms to each group cup)

Tanks from previous day

Task: The students will follow the steps below to add the worms and snails to the tank and then observe and record in their science journals their observations of each organism.

Time: 45 minutes

Ask the groups to answer the following questions in their science journals.

“How can you make sure that the aquatic animals remain healthy?”

“How do the worms move?”

“Do the worms prefer the gravel or sand?” Or do they float?”

“What do you think the worms will eat?”

“What body structures and behaviors do you observe about the snail?”

“What body structures help the snail to move?”

“Where do the snails spend most of the time?”

After completing the activity, all groups should share their predictions and observations with the class.

Introductory Activity for Activity 3

Ask the following questions before the students work in groups.

“What do you think will happen when the fish is added to the tanks?” Students will record in their science journals.

Activity 3: Day 3 Adding Fish to the Pond (Naturalist and Interpersonal)

Materials:

Half fill a plastic cup with dechlorinated water/1 per group

Net to transfer 2 fish from the holding tank to the cup

Pond tanks

Task: The students in each group will add 2 fish to their tanks.

Time: 45 minutes

The groups will answer the following questions in their science journals.

Write down the observations of the fish in the new environment. How do they move? How do they breathe? What do they eat? Where are the Tubifex worms? What are the snails eating?

After completing the activity, the students will share their observations with the class.

Introductory Activity for Activity 4

Before beginning the activity, ask the following questions:

Ask the students from each group to share their new observations about their pond habitats. “Has anything floated to the bottom of the tank?” “If so, what?” “What do you think will happen to the waste material?” “Is anyone’s water turning green in the tank?” “If so why?”

Activity 4: Day 4 Adding Mosquitoes to the Habitats (Naturalist and Interpersonal)

Materials: Mosquito larva or pupae

Pond Ecosystems

Turkey baster to remove larva or pupae to the tanks

Task: The students in each group will add mosquito larva or pupae to their tanks.

Time: 45 minutes

After completing the activity, call the groups back to their desks to discuss their findings. The students will write their responses in their science journals. Ask the following questions:

“What does each organism in the tank eat?” (Pause) “What eats the fish in the habitat?” (Pause) “Is it possible to create a food web?” (Pause)

“Describe the body shapes.” (Pause)

“How do they move?”

After completing all the above questions, let the students share their responses with the class.

Station Activities:

To complete the station activities, each group will rotate to a new station each day. Students will continue rotating until the station activities are completed.

Station 1 Reading

Stations 2 Writing/computer

Station 3 Art/writing

Station 4 K-Knex

Station 5 Computer/Internet

Station 6 Computer/PowerPoint

Station 7 Computer/vocabulary stations to complete the activities.

STATION ACTIVITIES:

Station 1: Reading (Verbal Linguistic)

Task: The students will read one of the books or a book of their choice and complete the story web activity. Then write a summary in their science journals. Then share with the others in the group.

Materials: Books, science journals, story web activity sheet